Happy St. Patrick’s Day! It is not only the perfect opportunity to wear green and drink beer, but also to learn more about Irish heritage. The first lesson you can learn is who the celebrities are that you see daily that are of Irish descent. Yes, there are a few. We’ve got a special list of Black women who you may or may not have known were part Irish for this week’s In Case You Didn’t Know.
Black and Irish Women
Alicia Keys
The Hell’s Kitchen native has quite a diverse background but was born to an Irish-Italian mother. In an interview in 2013, the singer admitted that she might be Scottish but the verdict is still out on that.
Mariah Carey
Next up, is the queen of Christmas. Typically, a blanket statement is made over the singer that she is just Black and white. However, she has a diverse background as well. Similar to Alicia Keys, Carey was born to an Irish mother. She has said in interviews that her mom has never let her forget that she is of Irish descent.
Rosario Dawson
The actress has never strayed away from letting people know her roots. She has made it very clear that she is not just biracial. In 2013, she tweeted, “I’m not biracial. I’m half Puerto Rican /Afro Cuban & half Irish/ Native Indian.”
Soledad O’Brien
The broadcast journalist is another woman of many backgrounds. Her father is an Australian-Irish man while her mother is Afro-Cuban. O’Brien’s full name is Maria de la Soledad Teresa O’Brien, which many media professionals advised her to change when she first got into the industry. She consistently refused to mute any part of her heritage.
Samantha Mumba
Unlike many of the other women listed above, Samantha Mumba was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. The award-winning singer-songwriter Her father is from Zambia, while her mother is Irish.